Jesse Marsch, coach of the Canada national team, asserted that his squad was “the better team” despite their 3-0 defeat to Morocco in the World Cup on Saturday, stating, “I’d rather be us than them.”
Midfielder Azzedine Ounahi scored two goals while substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a late third, sealing Morocco’s place in the quarterfinals during the round-of-16 match in Houston.
Canada had a strong first half, creating opportunities for Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi, but it was Ounahi who opened the scoring for Morocco in the 50th minute.
Marsch expressed his pride for the team, saying, “What a privilege it has been for our fans to support a team like this—one that takes risks, plays offensively, and strives for improvement.” He emphasized the need for more experiences like this to foster development in the squad, adding, “Despite Morocco’s strengths, I’d rather be in our position.” He noted, “I’m incredibly proud of our guys; they’ve given it their all, and while they’re feeling the sting of defeat, I couldn’t be prouder at this moment.”
This tournament marked Canada’s best World Cup performance to date, reaching the round of 16 after previously exiting in the group stage in 1986 and 2022.
Marsch continued, “In critical moments, we need to embody who we are, showcasing our belief and testing the opponent. We did that impressively across the pitch.” He stated, “We had 11 outstanding performances in the first half. We were unfortunate not to score first; the small details matter. Morocco’s quality showed, yet our performance was remarkable.”
In his subsequent press conference, Marsch noted that Morocco “bent but didn’t break,” adding, “On another day, we might have led and even won. The way we pushed and showcased our quality in this match proves we were better, better than the No. 7 team in the world.”
Responding, Morocco’s coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, contested Marsch’s assessment, stating, “Canada played well in terms of intensity, but judging who was better is a tricky statement to make after a 3-0 loss. I believe we performed better in the second half.”
Marsch also mentioned that star player Alphonso Davies was unable to participate against Morocco due to lingering injury concerns earlier this week, stating, “He had a hamstring issue he was recovering from. He looked good until two days ago, but then he reported some discomfort. It wasn’t serious, but we opted not to take any risks.”